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Arbolera de Vida Plaza, Albuquerque, New Mexico |
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What is Sawmill Community Land Trust?
A private non-profit corporation (501c3) created to acquire and hold land for the benefit of the community and provide secure affordable access to land, housing and jobs for community residents. Located in the Sawmill neighborhood, SCLT serves the Albuquerque metropolitan area residents who are least served by the prevailing market. The community land trust model accomplishes several goals:
- Gain control over local land use and reduce absentee ownership
- Provide affordable housing for moderate to lower income residents in the community
- Promote resident ownership and control of their neighborhood
- Keep housing affordable for future residents
- Capture the value of public investment for long-term community benefit
- Build a strong base for community action
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SCLT Background and History
The Sawmill Community Land Trust grew out of a long history of community organizing. It was founded by the Sawmill Advisory Council (SAC) in 1997 for the purpose of bringing affordable housing and economic activities to the neighborhood. Currently, the Land Trust is reclaiming 27 acres in the heart of the City of Albuquerque into a livable community, Arbolera de Vida or the Orchard of Life. This comprehensive revitalization effort includes housing, a park, plaza, community center, offices, retail space, manufacturing, senior apartments, and live/work spaces for home businesses.
The Community Land Trust was developed to protect low-income residents from gentrification and to enable them to make decisions and to benefit from the redevelopment of the area. Sawmill is adjacent to the downtown business district and the historic Old Town area, one of New Mexico's biggest tourist attractions. The encroachment of these interests have caused real estate values in the surrounding neighborhoods to spiral upwards, pushing land and housing costs beyond the affordability of most families that have lived here for decades.
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Arbolera de Vida Overview
ARBOLERA DE VIDA ...
is an innovative mixed-use, master planned community that is being built on twenty-seven acres of vacant property in the center of the Sawmill community north of Old Town. Purchased by the City of Albuquerque in 1995, the project site has been re-zoned for mixed, compatible uses, including affordable housing, community amenities, open space and commercial/retail space.
Planned under the leadership and direction of the Sawmill Advisory Council, a neighborhood advocacy group, and the Sawmill residential community at large, ARBOLERA DE VIDA is reflective of the ideas, dreams, and needs of a community, which has a strong commitment to sustaining its traditional values and improving its quality of life.
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